Amidst controversies
concerning the presidential election, the development process is going
ahead as the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC)
with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in the chair approved 45 projects
worth RS. 154.1 billion that includes foreign component of RS. 36.8
billion. It includes three Rs.6.62 billion strategic nuclear fuel
related projects to ensure fuel supply to nuclear power plants that
would be installed for generating 8800 mega watts of electricity by
2030.

Deputy Chairman of the
Planning commission, Dr. Akram Sheikh told media that to erase
dependency on nuclear fuel supplier countries the government has
planned to establish Pakistan Nuclear Power Fuel Complex for Rs.16.112
billion. Flues fabrication plant, seamless tube plant-1, nuclear power
fuel testing project and chemical processing plant will be established
in the complex. This unique project would help attain the indigenous
capability in manufacturing nuclear fuel for power generation.

It is learnt that the fuel
fabrication plant envisages developing capability for indigenous
fabrication of fuel assembly. At the initial stage, under Phase-1, the
capacity of plant would be 40 tons. However, the plant will be
operated at 70 percent annual production capacity to meet the fuel
requirement of Chashma nuclear power plant-1 and plant-2, it will be
installed in 60 months at the cost of Rs.3266 billion.

The proposed Seamless Tube
Plant-1, would produce structural materials (tubes and rods) to be
used by the fuel fabrication plant. It would be established in 60
months as well at the coast of RS. 2.707 billion. This plant would
help the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) to attain 100
percent capability of the technology involved in manufacturing
Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) nuclear fuels. It would also be the
roadmap for ultimately achieving the capability of fulfilling the
requirement of one-third fuel needed for the proposed nuclear power
plants.

ECNEC also approved Rs.3.66
billion-transmission line project for importing 100 KW of electricity
from Iran for Gwadar. The import would be at the rate of 6.35 cents
per unit. A 100-kilometer long 220 kv double circuit transmission line
would be installed from Pakistan ñ Iran border to Gwadar. It would be
equipped with an optical power ground wire and 220/132kv GIS
substation with 2x 160 MVA transformers. It may be mentioned that
Pakistan is negotiating with Iran for import of 1000 MW of
electricity. Apart from that ECNEC approved that the land for Karachi
Nuclear Power Plant 2 will be acquired for Rs.1.608 billion.

It may be mentioned that out
of 45 approved projects 39 are new while six are revised with an
upward cost. The cost of new projects would be RS. 140.7 billion
including RS. 35.1 billion foreign exchange component. The cost of the
revised projects has escalated by RS. 5.9 billion from Rs.7.5 billion
to RS.13.4 billion. In transport and communication sector, the meeting
approved 12 projects worth Rs. 36.756 billion, eight projects in
energy sector of Rs.20.7 billion, four in physical planning and
housing of Rs.10.8 billion and three projects in water and agriculture
sector of Rs.30.4 billion.

In education sector, ECNEC
approved five projects. It also approved a significant project under
which 57000 schools would be provided with missing facilities that
includes federal government's contribution of Rs.7.7 will be financed
by provincial governments. ECNEC also approved Rs.1.687 billion for
resettlement of affects of Mirani dam, who were affected in the recent
cycle that hit Balochistan.

In the infrastructure sector,
29 development projects, costing Rs.100.8 billion were approved. The
ECNEC approved 7 projects, worth Rs.37.5 billion in social sector, and
9 schemes costing 15.8 billion were approved in other sectors, like
agriculture, industries, commerce, etc.

The highest number of
projects were approved for Punjab where the number of projects is 15
with a cost of RS. 45.5 billion, including an among of Rs.4.4 billion
a s FEC.

In Sindh, the number projects
are three, with a cost of Rs.21.6 billion, with FEC of RS. 11.2
billion. For the NWFP, the number of approved projects is five,
costing Rs.15.1 billion, with FEC of RS. 5.1 billion. Similarly, five
projects, worth RS. 7.2 billion, with FEC of Rs.2.3 billion, have been
approved for Balochistan.